unexpected hospital visit

[melenzbee83]

Hi ladies,
Just wondering if anyone here is on ip- taxol or cysplatin? and what side effects were experienced?

I just spent 4 days in hospital with severe cramping, similar to colic where my bowel would spasm , then release  constantly, i was in complete agony. My mum and I are so confused as we dont know for certain what caused it, yet we dont want it to EVER happen again, as i have experienced way to much pain over the last 4 years.

Is it more likely to be from constipation? chemo side effects?
My ca125 has come down to normal for me-15 so we know its not cancer and my oncologist also agrees.

I do have 3 fluid patches within that area and where my stomach is tender, once again my chemo doctor thinks these are residual chemo and not infectious or should be causing the pain and that i need to keep my bowel slippery. Not sure what else we can do besides- lots of water, pear juice, prunes, coloxyl with senna morning and night (which i was doing before i got admitted into hospital) thats why i was so stumped.

I am still very tender and sore. On antibiotics in case of infection and cause my crp was slightly elevated.

[Ramsay14]

Did you ask your doctor about a lower fiber diet temporarily while you are healing?  I have found that too much fiber can cause so much discomfort in the bowels.  It's very difficult though to find just the right balance due to the fear of causing an obstruction.  Gotta keep things moving through, yet too much fiber can be so painful.   I have found senna to be too much for me.  It causes me pain.  When I need a little help, I use just a stool softener two times a day and that does the trick for me.  Maybe you could ask you doctor about that.  Maybe just a stool softener would be enough to keep you regular without so much discomfort.

A nurse told me the other day at my chemo:  You have to manage your bowels or they will manage you!

So sorry you had to spend 4 days in the hospital, but better safe than sorry.  Glad you're home now and doing better.  And congrats on the CA-125!  That is soooo awesome.

[justscore]

I hope you feel better,,,,,,,,,,so sorry you had a set back.  Glad you are home.

Heidi

[Tybear]

Sorry to hear about your hospital stay Mel...if those cramps and spasms are anything like what I went through with my obrstruction, that I feel your pain - it was horrific.

I can't do senna either...I find it makes me way too crampy. I also use stool softener, twice a day. I use to get severley constipated with taxol/carbo and no matter what I did, I could never manage to control it.

I also agree with the low fibre diet - fibre is bulking and would only add to your constipation issues.

I'm really not sure what it could have been but I hope it was only a side effect of the drugs and nothing more serious...I hope you never have to deal with it again!

Becky

[marie3B]

The I/P Taxol caused me all kinds of GI troubles.  Sometimes I felt like the inside of my abdominal cavity was burned in spots.  It got better as soon as the treatments were done.  I alternated between partial bowel obstructions and diarrhea to the point it was scary to have to leave the house.  I hope you are feeling better soon.  Marie

[melenzbee83]

Hi ladies,
thanks for all the great info. I have stopped coloxyl and i had a good nights sleep so hopefully things are on the mend. I can fully relate to Marie in that i dont really leave the house as most of the time i have dirrehea.

The docs reckon it wanted an actual obstruction after doing CT scans and xrays but i did have pockets of sluggish bowel where things were not moving along properly. Apparently my bowel reconstruction has changed things majorly and things can get "caught" around certain "new" bends in my bowel. Bit frustrating as i cant really control that. Im onto movicol i have been told by a number of ppl that it is really good, keeps you moving if constipated and will firm you up if the other way so fingers crossed it works.

All i know is i dont want to go back to hospital, the moment i get the slightest twinge i start crying worrying i'll have to go back. im just so mentally exhausted!

[crecco]

Mel,
   I know nothing about IP treatment but am sorry that you had to go through that and even sorrier that you ended up in the hospital. That is just not a place any of us want to be. Glad you are home and feeling a little better.
                  Chris